Sculling Lessons

Sculling lessons are a great introduction to the sport or a way to refine your sculling or sweep skills. By taking lessons, you can gain the skills to be able to row in a single shell without a coach, or just get some one on one coaching. If you have experience sculling and would like to become certified to take out a single shell on your own, you can take a one-time lesson with an instructor to pass the certification test to row your own single or a club single.

Once you pass the certification, your coach will give you the instructions to reserve a boat in our online boat reservation system.

• Learn a new skill and get involved with a new sport!
• One of the best ways to experience the city is on the Three Rivers. Without paying membership fees, lessons get you on the water quickly!
• If your schedule doesn’t allow for participation with other team club activities, this is a great way to get involved!
• Not sure you want to commit to membership or teams to try rowing? Get your feet wet with sculling to see if you like the sport!
• To spend time with friends. G -et a group together to try something new and unique!
• If you’re visiting Pittsburgh, a private lesson is a great way to get on the rivers without having to get certified first and you don’t have to be a member.
• Have a friend who rows and you want to “catch up” to their ability so you can row with them? Private lessons can help teach you rowing in a short period of time because they are one-on-one!

Experienced rower/paddler?

• Make the most of your membership by being able to go out in small boats anytime you want! Why only go out with your team when the rivers are there all the time!
• If you are a rower – try outrigger canoeing! If you are a paddler – try sculling! Another way to get on the water.
• Receive concentrated instruction to help you improve your rowing/paddling technique.
• Hear a different voice from your usual coach to get a different perspective.
• If you’re visiting Pittsburgh, a private lesson is a great way to get on the rivers without having to get certified first and you don’t have to be a member.
• If you’re under 18 years of age, you are not able to go on the river alone – lessons are a great way to get more sculling time!
• Spend time with friends, get a group together to try something new and unique!
• Having specific sweep rowing issues – work with our coaches in the tanks and see if we can help.
• If you want to make sure you are rowing correctly on the water or ergs to prevent injury, this is a great thing to work on one-on-one.
• If you are recovering from a surgery/injury and want to ease back into rowing before joining a team, this is a great way to go at your own pace while working towards your goals.
• Train for a specific race in a small boat whether alone or with a rowing/paddling partner.

How do the lessons work?

TRRA offers a few options for purchasing lessons with our TRRA coaches. Each rowing lesson is about one and a half hours in length. Outrigger Canoe lessons can be a bit longer if you are interested. You can purchase these individually, or you can purchase a set of five lessons at a slight discount. You can do the lessons one-on-one as a private lesson (1 person), with a friend as a semi-private lesson (2 people), or with a group (3-5 people).

How many lessons should I purchase?

For certification with the outrigger canoe, many people are able to pass in one lesson. If you are interested in receiving the sculling certification, we recommend the five-lesson package as it takes individuals typically 3-5 lessons to pass especially, if you are new to rowing.

When can I take lessons?

Lessons typically take place in June, July and August. There can be lessons in May and September, weather permitting. You can work directly with a coach to see what their availability is during the week and to officially schedule lessons. Lessons can be scheduled in the morning, during the day and on the weekends. Lessons are unavailable Monday-Thursday after 5pm.

The Safety Matrix determines when we can go on the water with new or experienced scullers for lessons and is usually the limiting factor at the beginning and end of season.

If you have experience sculling or in an outrigger canoe and are interested in testing out of the small boat certification, you can contact us directly to set this up. It usually takes about 30 minutes.

The cost to simply test out of it is $25. Note that certifications can only be done in Zone 1 of the safety matrix and if the water temperature is above 60°F/15.5°c.